Orange man shoots more than guns

Hannah LeTulleNovember 30, 2018

Orange native Todd Purifoy shoots wildlife in more ways than one. Known for his concert and hunting photography, Purifoy picks up the camera as a way to blend his passions and involve himself in them on a deeper level.

“Hunting is a huge part of my life — I bring my camera on every hunt,” he said. “Part of our hunting involves scouting, finding ducks, so I have plenty of time to sort of form a vision of the hunt. I get a chance to observe where birds will be coming from, get a feel for how many passes they may make and then give myself the best opportunity to document it.”

Purifoy finds gratification in documenting the camaraderie of the hunt.

“I love the experience of having a father and son on a hunt and doing my best to make sure they leave there with beautiful photos to capture their moment,” he said. “Capturing the joy of that first buck, or a deer that they have been working so hard to get — it is just special moments that produce pure joy. There is nothing at all fake about those emotions, and it makes incredible photography.”

The tricks he uses during hunting shoots are similar to the ones Purifoy uses to capture the Texas music scene.

“You just have to be in the right place at the right time,” he said. “Some of that is luck, but consistently putting yourself in the best position to capture what you expect could happen is the key. Knowing your subject is the biggest thing and being able to anticipate when something worth capturing is about to happen.”

His concert photography ranges from smaller bands at festivals to big names like Willie Nelson, Todd Snider and Robert Earl Keen.

“Spending a day with one of my musical heroes, Todd Snider, was right up there with one of the coolest days ever,” Purifoy said. “We weren’t intending on it, but one of those shots ended up as an album cover for him as well.”

“I still get excited when I see a shot of mine on a magazine or album cover, etc. Just knowing that someone appreciates the work and effort is pretty cool,” Purifoy said. “Every so often an artist will take the time to genuinely talk to me and mention their appreciation for my art, and that is always gratifying.”

Purifoy’s audience is a motivator for his work.

“I just wanted to do really good work and have people get some satisfaction out of seeing it,” he said. “I know that there are many people who follow me through a festival, for example. Maybe they can’t be there, but they know that each night I will post shots from all the shows, and they can get a feel for the vibe of the event. Knowing that it helps them experience a part of something amazing is awesome.

That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t experience things for themselves.

“Get out in the outdoors,” Purifoy said. “Bring your camera, or don’t. Just enjoy the beauty of what the outdoors has to offer. You can solve a lot of the world’s problems in a duck blind.”